Vehicle-mounted control system and method for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine controller is provided that can properly stop an internal combustion engine in accordance with an operational state no matter whether a vehicle body is inclined. The vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine controller comprises an inclination sensor for detecting vehicle body inclination; a mechanism for determining the operational state of a combustion engine; and a controller for stopping the operation of the combustion engine in accordance with a vehicle body inclination and an operational state. The cutoff mechanism stops the operation of the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine when it is judged that a vehicle body inclination angle α detected by the inclination sensor is greater than a predetermined angle A for a greater or equal period of time as a threshold stop time T 1 , T 2 setting, which varies with the operational state determined by the operational state sensor.

1. A vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine control system, comprising:
 an inclination sensor for detecting a vehicle body inclination; 
 an operational state sensor for determining the operational state of a vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine; and 
 a cutoff mechanism for stopping the operation of the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine in accordance with a vehicle body inclination detected by the inclination sensor and an operational state determined by the operational state sensor, 
 wherein the cutoff mechanism is operable to stop operation of the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine when it is judged that a time period, during which a vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor is greater than a predetermined angle, is equal to or greater than a threshold stop time setting, 
 wherein the threshold stop time setting depends on the operational state determined by the operational state sensor. 
 
   
   
     2. The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutoff mechanism stops the operation of the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine by varying at least one of the fuel injection timing and ignition timing from a normal timing thereof. 
   
   
     3. The control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the operational state sensor is operable to determine whether the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine is an initial startup state or in a warmed-up operational state. 
   
   
     4. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the threshold stop time setting when the operational state is an initial startup state is set to be longer than the threshold stop time setting when the operational state is a warmed-up operational state. 
   
   
     5. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the operational state sensor determines whether the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine is in the initial startup state or in the warmed-up state based in part on a measurement of engine coolant temperature. 
   
   
     6. The control system according to  claim 3 , wherein the operational state sensor judges that the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine is in an initial startup state when the engine coolant temperature of the vehicle-mounted internal combustion engine is lower than an outside air temperature. 
   
   
     7. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine of a vehicle using a controller, the method comprising the steps of:
 monitoring vehicle inclination data from an inclination sensor on a vehicle; 
 detecting an operational state of the engine, based on input from sensed vehicle data; 
 selecting a threshold time setting based on the detected operational state of the engine, wherein the threshold stop time setting varies with the detected operational state; 
 starting a timer running when the sensed vehicle inclination detected by the inclination sensor becomes greater than a predetermined angle; and 
 stopping operation of the internal combustion engine with a cutoff mechanism when the time period during which a vehicle body inclination angle detected by the inclination sensor is greater than a predetermined angle is equal to or greater than the selected threshold stop time setting. 
 
   
   
     8. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 7 , wherein the operational state of the engine comprises one of an initial startup state, and a warmed-up state, and wherein a first a threshold stop time setting is used by the operational state judgement device when the engine is in an initial startup state, and wherein a second threshold stop time setting is used by the operational state judgement device when the engine is in a warmed-up state. 
   
   
     9. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 8 , wherein the first threshold stop time setting is longer that the second threshold stop time setting. 
   
   
     10. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 8 , wherein the operational state of the engine is determined to be in a warmed-up state based on a sensed throttle angle, a sensed engine speed, and a sensed temperature of coolant of a cooling system of the engine such that when at least one of the throttle angle is greater than a predetermined throttle angle threshold, the engine speed is greater than a predetermined engine speed threshold, and the coolant temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature threshold, the engine is determined to be in a warmed-up operational state. 
   
   
     11. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 8 , wherein the operational state of the engine is determined to be in an initial startup state based on a sensed throttle angle, a sensed engine speed, and a sensed temperature of coolant of a cooling system of the engine such that when the throttle angle is less than or equal to a predetermined throttle angle threshold, the engine speed is less than or equal to a predetermined engine speed threshold, and the coolant temperature is lower than the outside air temperature by predetermined amount, the engine is determined to be in an initial startup state. 
   
   
     12. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 8 , wherein the operational state of the engine is determined to be in an initial startup state based on a sensed throttle angle, a sensed engine speed, and a sensed engine coolant temperature, such that when the throttle angle is less than or equal to a predetermined throttle angle threshold, the engine speed is less than or equal to a predetermined engine speed threshold, and the coolant temperature is less than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold, the engine is determined to be in an initial startup state. 
   
   
     13. The method of controlling an internal combustion engine according to  claim 12 , wherein the cutoff mechanism stops the operation of the internal combustion engine by controlling the function of at least one of an ignition circuit, a fuel injector, and a fuel pump.